In Memoriam - Kargil War '99

26 July 1999, It was a Monday and the whole Nation united to see the end of 60 day war.

May 3rd 1999, Pakistani forces and militants were sighted on this side of the LoC by local shepherds. Pakistani Forces and Militants on the order of Gen Parvez Musharraf infiltrated the LoC and captured the areas which served as the de-facto border between the two countries.

And hence Operation Vijay was initiated with the sole purpose of sending the rats back to their holes. With opposition forces sitting on altitude, they had a natural vantage point.

And then came the Indian Army, the culmination of the fiercest warriors on the face of earth with their motto instilled in their hearts "Service before Self". The same army defeated the same opposition forces not once, but thrice before this war.

June 9th 1999, Indian Army captures two key positions in the Baltic Sector. A crucial point. And by June 13th, we got back Tololing in Dras sector. By June 29th, Point 5060 and Point 5100 were captured near the Tiger Hill.



July 4th 1999, Brave soldiers took over Tiger Hill after a 11 hour long battle. This is now also famously known as the Battle of Tiger Hill, and by 5th of July Indian Army successfully took control over the entire Dras Sector. By July 11th Pakistan begins pullout and on 14th of July Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee declared Operation Vijay a success.

In the whole operation 527 Indian sons, fathers and friends lost their lives protecting the country they swore to defend. And nothing, not even that victory can bring back the souls lost during the war, let this day serve as a reminder of those who laid down their lives in order to protect the lives of 1.04 billion people.

They did their job and more than that. Least we could do is to show them some courtesy, extend a hand of compassion and sympathy for those who are dead, for those who are still out there on the night's guard saying "Nothing is gonna hurt you tonight, not under my watch."

So lets take some time off our daily routine and commemorate the Bold, the Brave and the silent guardians who laid down their lives for us. It is often said, that a dream death of a soldier is to die in action. I could agree no less.

14 years have passed since, but the wounds are too deep to heal. The scars of the war are still visible quite distinctly. And neither should we forget, because the history always teaches us some lesson. In this great War there was again a lesson which would be faded away with the currents of time. The nation who forgets their martyrs and soldiers isn't fit to be a nation at all.

The lines sung by Lata Mangeshkar aptly fits here - "Tum bhul na jao unko, isiliye kahi ye kahani, jo shaheed hue hain unki, zara yaad karo qurbaani."

So heres one. To,
The Indian Armed Forces and the Martyrs of the War.

Jai Hind. Jai Bharat.

The Oath Of Vayuputras - Book Review

For centuries, the stories of Gods as we know them today have been flowing through the length and breadth of India. The "puranas" of The Almighty gods, Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh. For all one knows, that these are mythologies. But, Amish Triparthi gave everyone in India and abroad, a whole new perspective of what we call Mythology and what "might" actually have happened.

After the immense success of the first two books of the Shiva Trilogy, I must admit, I was really excited about the last and final conclusion. I for one, take great pleasure in reading the history and mythology. And that might be the reason, I felt particularly connected and inclined too this series.

Of all the things, Amish  has done is research impeccably well. The best part of the series is not the writing style; its simple and not much to adore about; but what is brilliant is, the way he connected the dots. He actually makes one believe, that the story he is narrating may have happened. That there was no such thing as magic, but science, no such thing as Gods, but people who rose up to that level, where others started worshiping them, not out of fear, but out of respect for their deeds. He took fiction to a whole new level, and gave it a new dimension.

This book had everything a reader wants, politics, war, stories of heroism, legend, secrets, the wisdom of dharma and adharma, duty and honor and ofcourse: the depth and intensity of the love of Shiva for Sati (and vice versa).

Also, this particular book has an add-on which others didn't have. It has not only covered Indian Mythology, but it went as far as Persian (Pariha), Egyptian, Mesopotamian and Tibetan legends. The way each and every term has been described and explained is just brilliant.

In a very subtle manner Amish has connected mythology to his fiction (i say any further, that would be a Spoiler). So many things going on in different kingdoms, it was like reading Game of Thrones, only that, this had less politics and more of action (no complaints there).

I can go on and on about it, because I am a fan now.
So to summarize, its Spellbinding , Archetypal, Stirring, Narrative, Elaborate..Magnificent.

Waiting for his next project.

Till then...

                               Om Namah Shivay

The bike trip and the feel of redemption

                                                       The bike trip and the feel of redemption

For any student of SRM University Chennai, the favorite weekend destination is Pondicherry (Pudducherry). Whenever we get time, we just rush down to the bus stop and catch a bus for pondi! And in most cases, this is done without any sort of planning.

So, during my study leaves (so called), i was bored to the last degree. And then it occurred to me, that the weather is beautiful and i need some time with myself somewhere quiet. Well, what could i have done next? Grabbed my bike and called up a friend.

As Darrel Royal rightly said, " Breaks balance out. The sun don't shine on the same ol' dog's rear end everyday."

Morning 9:30, we pushed from our college on a bit rusty, and a bit old, Splendor +. The bike might be an economy bike, but for that day, it was nothing less than a Harley for us.

I couldn't have asked for a better weather for a road trip. The sky was filled with clouds and not a single ray of sun. There was cool breeze and the landscapes were spectacular. For all those who say Chennai has no beauty in it, well, u certainly have not experienced what i have experienced that day.

We stopped for a couple of coffee breaks and then there we were. We sat on a rock at the rock beach for about half an hour, listening to the waves clashing with the rocks. It was the sound of the nature....pure and untarnished.. Then we had our lunch. And then grabbed two cans of Tuborg green and went to Auro beach.

The clouds parted a bit by then. We were sitting on the beach with our time in the sun and sipping the chilled beer. And then i understood, how Andy Dufresne's friends might have been feeling sitting on the tar roof on a sunny day having chilled beer.

That feeling, for me was the feel of redemption.

And, then we headed back to pavilion. That was the end of it. Of a journey, not so big or special in any conventional sense, but special and appeasing in every other sense.

Heres one to the bikes and the journeys they had.

Peace.

Nostalgia

The other day I visited my cousin sister. I have two nieces, and spent fairly good time with them. I sat on the couch and was watching them play, and then I started reminiscing, about my past, my childhood or should I say, of all of us who were born in late 80’s and early 90’s.

And hence, here begins my nostalgia.

I talk of a time, where playing included leg work and not thumbs and fingers. When early morning we used to dash out of our homes to play cricket during summer vacations, and the game went on till the evening.

The first “Pepsi” we ever had was not the ones we drink nowadays. It was those various coloured drink, which used to come in plastic tubes. They were a craze in those times, available everywhere, outside schools, parks, shops. EVERYWHERE.

We were innocent and carefree back then. There were no restrictions on us as on where to go or not. Right from the time of tri-cycles till we left behind our bi-cycles, for us the world was ours. Just grab ‘em up and rule the streets.

Coming to indoor entertainment, that was a time when the world saw some real and good cartoons. They inspired us in their own little ways. Tales Pin and in that Baloo’s awesome flying techniques was my first inspiration to become a fighter pilot. Mowgli (Jungle Book) is still a legend and that name alone makes us smile. Then there was Dexter’s Laboratory and Pokemon, Simba-The Lion King, The Legend of Zorro, and the list goes on and on and on. The point here is, those shows being a cartoon/animated entertainment, still taught us a lot of things. And ofcourse, who can ever forget the great Tom and Jerry show.

We belong to a generation, who has seen both the inside and outside world. As kids we were happy to get small Hotwheels set, and the biggest asset anyone of us owned was the video games. I still remember, when we used to exchange the game cassettes. “I’ll give you Super Contra for your Ninja Turtle.” Still makes me laugh, how we were negotiators at such early age.

Today, a 6 year old carries an iPad, a Galaxy Note II, and at the very least a PSP. Outdoor sports are like alien to them. Where once cricket was the sport which every child have played in their childhood, now its that which no one knows!

Tall buildings, huge apartments, budding offices and complexes everywhere, where is the place where the kids can go and play? Where has their world gone?

Pizzas and Burgers were like the rarest of cuisines that we had, and  now, those are the ones most frequently consumed.

Whose fault is that? I don't know. I just know that there has been a huge paradigm shift. And that is not for the good. 

Education- Difference of perception.

                            Education- Difference of perception.

I  was attending an un-conference at Aaruush '12 (the Techno-management fest of SRM University, Chennai). The topic of discussion was, "Deviation from engineering, after graduation." All said, the flow of discussion went really well. 

Mr. Ratan Manglani was a personnel from "Teach For India." He went on about how the system works and how many children they educated. And then he showed us a case, of a slum dweller girl, who got education. In one video of hers, she was addressing a TED event in Mariana Trench, Mumbai. The confidence she had her in her voice gave me goosebumps. Terrific English and public speaking skills she had. And then she said her last lines .The last lines of hers, they still ring in my ears and make me think over and over again. The lines were "Yes, I AM an educated slum dweller, and I am proud of it."

For many it may have been just a touching video, an inspiration. But for me it opened my so long closed eyes to a whole new perception towards education. We, those of us who are born and raised with good family background, who opened their eyes to the world of knowledge and education. We, who at the age of three had a privilege to go to schools and then continue to pursue different degrees as per our  interests, it seems that we are the ones who don't understand the true value of education. As the trend goes today, we all whine about going to schools or colleges everyday, or study load, "peer-pressure", or homeworks. Many of us also just hope to somehow graduate from college and then start working. We didn't understand the privilege we enjoy then, and we don't do it now. 

But for people who were not so gifted as us? Getting a proper education is one distant dream for them. A dream, for which they'll be willing to sacrifice anything. I used to see my mother teaching the kids of the house maids who used to work at our home. Then, I didn't understand the meaning of any of it. But now i think i get the gist just fine.

As they say - "People value only those things, which they don't have. If they have something, right from the beginning, they never understand its value, until its gone."

Its not about developing the nation. Its not about doing charity work. Its all about - Being Human.